The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-04-30
CATHOLIC NEWS.
TOTAL ABSTINENCE.

OA1AV1AO N1yv0s
TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
The Pope's Letter to Bishop Ireland in
Favor of the Movement.
The following is a translation of the
important Papal brief in favor of the
total abstinence movement addressed to
the Right Rev. Bishop Ireland, of the
diocese of st. Paul:
To Our Venerable Brother. John Ire
land, Bishop of St. Paul, Mimi, Leo
Kill. Pope.-VENERABLE BROTHER {:
Health and apostolic benediction. The
admirable works of piety and charity
by which our faithful children in the
United States labor to promote not only
their own temporal and eternal welfare
but also that of their fellow-citizens,
and which you have recently related to
us, give to us exceeding great consola-
ton. And above all we have rejoiced
to learn with what energy and zeal. by
means of various excellent associations,
and especially through the Catholic
Total Abstinence Union, you combat
the destructive vice of intemperance.
For it is we'll known to us how ruinous,
how deplorable is the injury both to
faith and to morals that is to be feared
from intemperance in drink. Nor can
we sufficiently praise the prelates of the
United States who recently in the
Plenary Council of Baltimore with
weightiest words condemned this abuse,
declaring it to be perpetual incentive
to sin and a fruitful root of all evils,
plunging the families of the intemper-
ate into the djrest ruin, and drawing
numberless souls down to everlasting
perdition declaring moreover that the
faithful who yield TO this vice of intern
perance become thereby a scandal to
mont Catholics, and a great hindrance to
the propagation of the true religion.
Hence, we esteem worthy of all COM
mendation the noble resolve of your
pious associations, by which they pledge
themselves to abstain from every kind
of Intoxicating drink. Nor can it at all
be doubted that this determination is
the proper and the truly efhcacious rem
edy for this very great evil and that so
much the more strongly will all be in
duced to put this bride upon appetite
by how much the greater are the dig
nifty and influence Of those who give
the example. But greatest of all in this
matter should be the zeal of priests,
who, as they are called to instruct the
people in the word of life, and to mold
them to Christian morality, should
also, and above all, walk before them in
the practice of virtue. Let pastors,
therefore, do their best to drive the
plague of intemperance from the fold
of Christ by assiduous preaching and
exhortation, and to shine before all as
models of abstinence, that so the many
calamities with which the vice threat
ems both Church and State may by their
strenuous endeavors be averted.
And we most earnestly beseech AL
mighty God that, in this important
matter, He may graciously favor your
desires, direct your counsels, and assist
your endeavors and as pledge of the
divine protection, and as testimony of
our paternal affection, we most lovingly
bestow upon you, venerable brother,
and upon all your associates in this holy
league, the apostolic benediction.
Given at Rome, from st. Peters, this
9th day of March, in the year 1887, the
tenth year of our Pontifcate.
LEO KILL, Pope.